Homemade Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Remember when I taught you how to make homemade glazed doughnuts? I said they were the best homemade doughnuts I’d ever had. Eating my words right now. And more maple bacon doughnuts, too.

Why You’ll Love These Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Straightforward homemade dough Soft, bakery-style taste and flavor Perfect at-home weekend project Most of the time spent is waiting for the dough to rise and oil to heat! Sweet maple glaze & salty bacon

Homemade Doughnut Dough

We’re using the same yeasted dough as my homemade glazed doughnuts and it’s pretty similar to my homemade berry fritters and monkey bread, too. You need a few very basic ingredients and here’s why each are imperative:

Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. Whole milk is a must for a tender dough. Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using an instant yeast, your rise time will be a little shorter. You need 1 Tablespoon of yeast which is a little more than 1 standard packet. Review my Baking with Yeast Guide before getting started if you need a little refresher. Sugar: Sugar sweetens the doughnuts and feeds the yeast. Eggs: Eggs provide structure and flavor. Butter: Melted butter promises enhanced flavor. Salt & Vanilla Extract: Both add flavor. Nutmeg: A little nutmeg is the secret ingredient to that cozy, comforting bakery taste. I never make yeasted doughnuts without it! Flour: All-purpose flour is the dough’s structure. You’ll be tempted to add more and more flour as you mix the dough, but don’t. You want a very soft, pillowy dough for soft, pillowy doughnuts. The dough can still be slightly sticky.

Video Tutorial

Overview: How to Make Homemade Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Homemade doughnuts seem a little intimidating, but I guarantee you can handle this. Let me walk you through the process. The full written recipe is below. Some step-by-step photos to help guide you:

Maple Icing

We’re using a slightly scaled up version of the maple icing from my maple brown sugar cookies. Heat butter and pure maple syrup together, then add the confectioners’ sugar and a little salt. To avoid any lumps, sift the confectioners’ sugar before measuring. If you can find it, add a splash of maple extract too. You can usually find it in the baking aisle with the vanilla extract. The best part about this maple icing, besides its flavor, is that it eventually sets. You’ll also love it on regular cinnamon rolls or apple cinnamon rolls, crumb cake, and cheesecake carrot Bundt cake. We love making these for special brunches and they’re always fun for Mother’s Day or as part of your Father’s Day recipes, too! Looking for other flavors? Try my strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla donut frostings.